DreamWorks Animation released three animated films in 2010. I really enjoyed “How to Train your Dragon” and “Shrek Forever After”. And I really wanted to like “Megamind”.
The movie begins with a backstory. We see how life started-out for Megamind and how and why he became a super- villain. Will Ferrell (the voice of Megamind) narrates the opening segment. And we learn about Megamind’s rivalry with Metro Man (Brad Pitt), the superhero of the city. Metro Man is loved by everyone and they all hate Megamind, but he’s o.k. with that, because he enjoys being evil.
But events take place that end the rivalry, and Megamind has to figure out how to be happy without battling Metro Man all the time. One way might be by starting a relationship with TV news reporter Roxanne (voiced by Tina Fey), but how could she ever like the him?
I have to point out, once again, that the trailer for “Megamind” gives much too much away and really spoils the enjoyment of the story. When are studios going to realize the damage they are doing to their customers – the movie-going public – by including too many details in their trailers. It’s a problem that needs to be addressed.
As for the film, it’s much more of a light romantic comedy than an action-comedy. And that’s surprising. And while adults may enjoy it more because of that, for the target audience – kids – it’s disappointing. I expected a lot more laughs than the script provides and a lot more action. The tone of the film is very low-key and after the opening scene when the two arch-enemies fall to Earth, the story remains locked in Metro City, holding back the potential for more excitement.
As with other recent films, “Megamind” suffers from not having characters that the audience can like and root for. Megamind, himself, is fun, but he’s evil, then good, then evil, then good. Too much back and forth to stay attached to. The real good guy, Metro Man, turns out not to be a main character at all, and the replacement hero is really a jerk.
On the plus side, the voice work, led by Ferrell, is fantastic. And, as is always the case with DreamWorks, the animation is wonderful. The 3D is sharp and effective, but not overdone. And this film may have the best soundtrack of any movie this year.
There have been a lot of comparisons made to “The Incredibles”, Disney/Pixar’s superhero/super-villain movie from 2004. Many of the “Megamind” characters even look like characters from the previous film. But while “The Incredibles” grabs you from the first scene and is jam-packed with great action and a thoughtful story, “Megamind” focuses too much on what the characters are “thinking” and not enough on what they should be doing. And the romantic story line just slows things down.
“Megamind” is rated PG for cartoon action and mild language. It’s appropriate for kids 7 and up, but I’m just not sure if they’ll enjoy it. It’s not a bad movie by any means, it’s just not as good as it should be.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, “Megamind” gets a C+. Dreamworks Animation only has two movies coming out this year: “Kung Fu Panda 2” in May and the “Shrek” spin-off, “Puss in Boots” in November. Maybe two is their magic number.